Guardians of the Stars

Gliese 687

Gliese 687, or GJ 687 (Gliese–Jahreiß 687) is a red dwarf in the constellation Draco. This is one of the closest stars to the Sun and lies at an approximate distance of less than 15 light years. Even though it is close by, it has a magnitude of about 9 so it can only be seen through a moderate sized telescope from Earth. The star has a high proper motion across the sky, advancing 1.304 arc seconds per year. It has a net relative velocity of about 39 km/s.

GJ 687 has about 40% of the Sun’s mass and nearly 50% of the Sun’s radius. Compared to the Sun, it has a slightly higher proportion of elements with higher atomic numbers than helium. Gliese 687 also emits X-rays.

It does have a Neptune-mass planet as well as a few mesoplanet sized rocky masses, though no dust clouds or asteroid belts.